Walsworth Blog

'Tis the season when informal office parties abound. It’s always nice to have time to relax and spend a few minutes chatting with co-workers about non-business topics, especially if it can be done over a plate of good food. Many organizations ask employees to bring potluck dishes for an informal party before the holiday break, but people don’t always know what to bring.

At the end of each year, marketers reminisce about the triumphs and tribulations of the past 12 months, and then turn their attention toward predicting marketing trends for the upcoming year. The most successful marketers use data from the previous year to identify the most effective content marketing strategies.

The Content Marketing Institute recently produced its year-end report on 2013 benchmarks, budgets and trends in North American B2B and B2C content marketing. Information in these publications suggests the continuation of the upward trend in almost every aspect of content marketing. Here are five content marketing trends you can bet on in 2014.

A lot of buzz has been heard lately about whether paid search advertising makes financial sense to today’s markets. With a simple internet search on the topic, you can find just as many articles saying “Paid search is dead” as you can those that say “Paid search is stronger than ever.”

Like any other marketing component, it all boils down to an individual decision. So, instead of getting mired in the debate over whether paid search is dead or alive, let’s talk a little bit about what good paid search involves and how to effectively implement it if you decide it’s a good choice for your business.

What is G7? G7 is a color calibration method developed by IDEAlliance that allows printers to reliably repeat color quality across the gamut of printing devices and substrates. The “G” stands for the gray balance required to achieve the standard, and the “7” stands for the seven ISO colors, CMYK and RGB.

If your professional experience is anything like mine, you probably find yourself spending more time on daily issues than you would like. And this pattern probably prevents you from doing the long-term planning that would make your job easier in the future.

Organizations often experience this potentially crippling dynamic as well. With so many people focused on putting out the “fires” of the day, it can be difficult to dedicate the time and resources necessary to plan for the long-term and develop strategic direction for the organization. Unfortunately, without a winning strategic plan to guide it, any organization is likely to flounder in the wake of quickly shifting priorities.